Astros’ new pitcher set to resume throwing

Recovering well, Astros reliever Jesse Crain is set to throw for the first time on Monday since undergoing right biceps surgery in early October.

Being available on opening day remains a possibility for the reliever but is not guaranteed. Crain, 32, signed a one-year, $3.25 million deal as a free agent this offseason.

The Astros are being careful not to rush Crain, whose health kept him from returning last year during a pennant run. The Rays traded for Crain midseason, at a time when Crain had not pitched for the White Sox for a month. He didn’t end up being able to pitch for Tampa Bay at all and hit free agency.

It would not have been surprising if Crain signed a more incentive-heavy contract this winter, and the Astros discussed many structures with Crain. The deal’s final form, with guaranteed money, ostensibly puts the Astros in a position where a healthy Crain is potentially a huge bargain. By the same token, an unhealthy Crain is potentially a larger drain on resources when signed to this contract rather than one based around performance bonuses.